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International Agreements Definitions & Templates

WKU recommends using the templates found below when developing international agreements.
Where necessary, they may be modified to better outline the purposes of the partnership.
In some instances, an external template may be used. All agreements, whether external
or internal, are subject to a set of requirements and are evaluated against the same
criteria in the approval process. For a complete list of international agreement requirements,
click here.

Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) is a general document drafted to reflect or promote good will between the parties.
It usually does not specify detailed actions or projects, although it may allude to
the development of such plans at a later date. The MOU may be a precursor to a more
detailed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which does normally stipulate the specific
terms, conditions, and implementation processes that govern the proposed partnership.

Memoranda of Agreement (MOA)* are typically developed to govern the exchange of students, faculty, or projects
that require specific commitments from the involved parties.

MOA for Student Exchange binds WKU and the partner institution(s) to an academic, tuition, and logistics plan
for the exchange of students between the two institutions.

MOA for Faculty/Staff Exchange binds WKU and the partner institution(s) to a financial and logistics plan for the
exchange of faculty or staff.

*Each MOA is likely to differ from another—due to variations of purpose, academic
focus of Originating Department, etc. For that reason, no general template can be
made available. OIP will help each department find and develop a document that meets
the needs of the intended collaboration.

Agreement for Double/Dual Degree Program (DD) is an agreement by two or more institutions to grant dual academic awards. Participating
students study at two or more institutions and each institution grants a separate
academic award bearing only its name, seal, and signature.

Agreement for Joint Degree Program (JD) is an agreement by two or more institutions to grant a joint academic award. Participating
students study at two or more institutions and the institutions grant a single academic
award bearing the names, seals, and signatures of each of the participating institutions.

Research Agreements are agreements between two or more institutions to undertake collaborative research
projects/endeavors. They may involve the sharing of facilities or resources as well
as joint publication.

The Office of Sponsored Programs will be an additional stakeholder in the approval
process of these agreements.